Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Band manager claims daily tabloid paid man to make false sex claims against him

In Ireland, a prominent victim of a bogus sex claim has made an explosive allegation against a major UK newspaper.

Last June, Louis Walsh, a music industry manager and judge on the British television show X-factor, was falsely accused of groping a man in the restroom of a club where one of Walsh's bands was performing. The accuser later pled guilty to making false reports and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Mr. Walsh wouldn't let it drop: "I have no intention of letting this matter rest until I have received total and absolute vindication," he said last year. Now, Mr Walsh is suing the publishers of a major UK daily tabloid for defamation over an article it published on June 23, 2011.

In connection with that suit, Mr. Walsh is seeking access to documents that, he claims, will show the newspaper itself offered to pay the false accuser to make the false accusation against Walsh.

Walsh claims the newspaper paid €700 to his accuser and promised to make more payments to him before a journalist accompanied him to a garda station where he made his false complaint against Mr Walsh.

The newspaper denies it is liable for defamation and says it acted fairly and reasonably in relation to the publication.

We will be watching this one closely. If a representative of the newspaper orchestrated a vile false sex claim in the interest of getting a story, it will rank among the most heinous breaches of journalistic ethics imaginable. Let us hope that if it is true, the parties responsible will pay a hefty price.